Recording system



y 3, R. D. EVANS ET AL 1,856,699

RECORDING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 31, 1927 Cyc/e Cour:

INVENTORS 000 Robe/f D. Evans, 0 o Char/es E Wagner 400 o 0 0 6 Samue/ 5. @F/scom 4/ ATTORNEY Patented May 3, 1Q32 UNITED sT-ATEs PATENT OFFICE ROBERT D. EVANS, F WILKINSBURG, CHARLES F. WAGNER, 0F PITTSBURGH, AND

SAMUEL B. GRISCOM', OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA RECORDING SYSTEM Application filed August 81, 1927. Serial No. 216,532.

Our invention relatesto a recording system and comprehends a method of and apparatus for controlling a moving system in accordance with changes in the average values of a quantity of an electrical circuit.

In accordance with our invention, movement of a record-forming member with respect to a record-receiving member contacting directly therewith is eflected or controlled in accordance with changes in the magnitude of the average values of a quantity, as power, current or voltage of an electrical circuit.

Further in accordance with our invention, movement of a record-forming member controlled as aforesaid is initiated upon occurrence of or in response to an abnormal circuit condition, either chance or otherwise, as a short circuit, excessive flow of current, subnormal voltage, rate of change of current,

power, reactive power or voltage, or the like, such abnormal circuit condition being hereinafter characterized as a transient.

Further in accordance with our invention, movement of a record-forming member with respect to a record-receiving surface contacting directly therewith iscontrolled in accordance with changes in the average value of a quantity of an electrical circuit as effected by the occurrence of a transient, chance or otherwise, and movement of said record-re ceiving surface is likewise effected in response to or controlled by occurrence of said transient.

Further in accordance with our invention, a relay system controlled, operated or actuated, either by direct or alternating current, is utilized for controlling the appllcation of energy indicative of the average value of a quantity of an electrical circuit, particularly a poly-phase circuit, upon occurrence of a transient, chance or otherwise.

More particularly in accordance with our invention, the relay system aforesaid comprises suitable time-delaying mechanism for controlling-the application of energy to the moving system for a predetermined time onl gar invention resides in the method, ap-

lparatus, system and features of construction of the character hereinafter described and claimed. V

For an understanding of our method and an illustration of the one of the forms our apparatus or system may take, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

The figure is a diagrammatic view of a recording system constructed in accordance with our invention.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a record-receiving surface or member 1 which ordinarily comprises a web or strip of suitable paper. Member 1 may be fed in the direction indicated by the arrows from a suitably supported supply roll 2 and, after passing over an idler roll or drum 3, passes into coacting relation with a feed drun14which is preferably provided, adjacentitsends,with spaced lugs or projections 5 adapted to enter similarly spaced openings in the margins of member 1. The shaft of drum 4 has keyed thereto a gear or pinion 6 meshing with a gear 7 carried by a shaft 8, said gear 7 meshing with and being driven by a gear 9, in turn, driven by a motive device M. As herein illustrated, the motive device M is electrical in character and, therefore, comprises an armature 10, the shaft of which has the aforesaid gear 9 keyed thereto. Coacting with the armature 10 is a magnetizable structure 11 upon which is disposed a field coil or winding 12.

Coacting with the member 1, preferably in a region where it is supported by a plate 13, is a record-forming member 14 herein illustrated as a pen supplied with ink, in a manner well understood in the art, from a receptacle 15.

In accordance with our invention, the. record-receiving and forming members 1 and" 14 are utilized to obtain a record of changes in a characteristic, as magnitude; of one or more quantities or factors of an electrical power system during the existence of some abnormal condition, such, for example, as is effected by the occurrence of a transient, chance or otherwise, which usually causes the production of an abnormal current in some circuit of the power system.

In the form of our invention herein illus trated, a record is formed on the surface 1 of the average power traversing a three phase electrical circuit during persistence of some abnormal circuit condition. To this end, there is provided a vibrating or deflecting system comprising a member or wire 16 tautly disposed between. fixed supports 17 and i8, said wire 16 passing through an elongated sleeve 19, preferably elliptical in cross-section, and being secured thereto as indicated at 20. Carried by, and movable with, the wire 18 and sleeve 19 is an arm 21 securely fixed to the latter and to the. aforesaid. recordformin j member 14. The end of sleeve 1!) removed from the member 21 carries a damping, vane structure 22 disposed in a fluid-containing receptacle 23 which, in the example illustrated, forms the fixed support 18.

he wire 16 is of relatively large size thereby providing a proper natural period of oscillation for the deflecting system. In all of the prior-art vibratinp systems, the natu al period of oscillation is of the order of one period per second and will not, therefore, permit accurate recording of power transients. To provide for a faithful reproduction of the varlation in power quantity, the vibrating system is designed to have a natural period of a fraction of a. second. This natural period of oscillation is of the order of twenty cycles per second and provides that the instrument shall be dependent upon the natural period of the system disturbance instead of its own natural period of oscillation.

Carried by, and movable with, the sleeve 19 are the coils or windings 24 and 25, the former coacting magi'ietically with a plurality of fixed coils 26, 26a and the latter enacting magnetically with a plurality of fixed coils 27, 27a. The sleeve 19 is utilized as a support for the coils 24 and 25 and transmits motion to the wire 16 at the juncture point 20 between said sleeve 19 and the wire 16.

To the end that the herein-described mechanism may be automatically actuated upon occurrence of some abnormal circuit condition. a plurality of relays R R R and R, are utilized. and a uniform or non-failing supply of alternat ng current traversing a circuit comprising the conductors 28. 28a is provided for actuating the three relays last named.

Branching, respectively, from the aforesaid conductors 28, 28a are conductors Q9 and 30 in which a switch 31 may be interposed. Conductor 29 extends to one fixed contact of relay R from whose other fixed contact a conductor 32 leads hack to the aforesaid conductor 30. Interposed in the conductor 32 is the winding of relay and a. currentlimiting resistance 33. Branching from the conductor 29 is a conductor 34 which terminates in a plurality of fixed contacts for each of the relays R and R Connected to another fixed contact of relay R and to the aforesaid conductor 32 is a conductor 35 in which a cycle counter 36 is interposed. Connected to still another fixed contact of relay It. is a conductor 37 which branches and is connected to a point common to terminals of the windings of relays R and R and is also connected to single fixed contacts of each of said relays R and R Another fixed contact of relay It; is connected by a conductor 38 to the a foresaitl conductor 32 to which one terminal of the winding of relay R, is connected by a conductor 39. A conductor 40 including, a current-limiting resistance 41 leads from one terminal of the winding of relay It and is connected to the conductor 32 at a po nt between the current-limiting resistance 33 and the conductor 30. A conductor 42 leading from another fixed contact of relay It. leads to one terminal of the winding 12, the other terminal of which is connected by a conductor 4.3 to the aforesaid conductor i,

The relay R comprises a single contact member 44: the relay It: comprises the contact members -15 and 4-6: the relay R has but a single contact member -17, and the relay R comprises a plurality of contact members 48, 49, 50. e1, 52 and At G. there is illustrated a three phase generator, the output winding of which is connected by conductors 54, 55 and 56 to the prin'iary winding, of a transforn'ier T, to the secon dary winding of which the line conductors L L. and L are connected.

The neutral point of the secondary winding: of transformer T is grounded by a conductor 57 forming the primary winding of a current transformer, having its secondary winding 58 connected to the winding, of the aforesaid relay 11,.

The conductor 5-4- forms the primary winding for a current transformer, the secondary winding, 59 of which is connected by conductors 60 and 61 to the respective open terminals of coils 27 and 2761 which are connected in series by a conductor 62. -\Vhen the relay R, is deenergized, its contact member 53 bride-es a pair of fixed contacts connected across the conductors 60 and 61.

Similarly, the conductor 56 forms the prima ry winding for another current transformer, the secondary winding 63 of which is connected by conductors 64 and 65 to the respective open terminals of coils 26 and 260 which are connected in series by a conductor 66. lVhen the relay R, is deenergized, its Contact member 52 bridges another pair of fixed contacts connected across the conductors 64 and 65.

Connected across the conductors 54 and 55 is the. primary winding of a voltage transformer 67, one terminal of the secondary winding of which is connected by a conductor 68 to a fixed contact arranged to coact with contact member 51 of relay R The other fixed contact cooperating with said contact member 51 is connected by a conductor 69 to one terminal of the coil 25, from the other terminal of which a conductor leads back to the other secondary winding terminal of the aforesaid transformer 67.

Conn cted across the conductors 56 and 55 is the primary winding of another voltage transformer T1. one terminal of the secondary wind ng of which s connected by a conductor 72 to a fixed contact arranged to coact with (Ollhh'l' member 50 of relay R The other fixed contact cooperating with said contact member 50 is connected by a conductor 73 to one terminal of the coil 24, from the other ter minal of which a conductor 74 leads back to the other secondary winding terminal of the aforesaid transformer 71.

the operation is as follows:

When it is desired to obtain a record of one or more quantities of the electrical power circuit under observation, the system is arranged as hereinbcfore described, and the switch ll closed to connect the conductors 29 and 30 to the local supply circuit comprising the conductors 28 and 28a.

Furler normal operating conditions, the three phase power system is substantially or entirely balanced with. the result that little or no current traverses the conductor However, upon occurrence of some abnormal circuit condition, as a transient, chance or otherwise. a relatively large current traverse the conductor 57 and, consequently, the winding of relay R, is. energized.

When this occurs, the contact member 44 of relay R, engages the fixed contacts coactiug therewith and current flows through the wimling of relay R, by way of conductor 29, contact member 44, conductor 32, currentlimiting resistance 33, and conductor 30.

lVhen the winding of relay R is energized, as aforesaid, a circuit is completed through the cycle counter 36 by way of conductor 29, conductor 34, the contact member 46 of relay R conductor 35, conductor and con-- ductor 30, whereby operation of said cyclecounter 36 is effected. Since relay R remains closed only while relay R is closed, it results that operation of the cycle counter 36 occurs only d "ing continuance of the abnormal circuit' condition and, therefore, by observation of the cycle counter 36, the duration of the abnormal circuit condition may be determined.

Further, as a result of the energization of relay R its contact member 45 moves into engagement with the fixed contacts coacting therewith and the winding of relay R is energized over a circuit including the conductor 29, conductor 34, contact member 45, conductor 37, conductor 40, current-1imiting resistance 41, and conductors 32 and 30. Simultaneously, the winding of relay R, is energized over a circuit including conductor 29, conductor 34, fixed contact member 45, conductor 37, conductors 39 and 32, currentlimiting resistance 33, and conductors 32 and 30.

In accordance with our invention, relay R is of the time-delayed type and, therefore, when its winding is energized, the contact member 47 does not engage its coacting fixed contacts until the lapse of a suitable period of time, as, for example, 20 seconds, more or less. 1

Relay R however, closes as soon as its winding is energized and as its contact member 48 closes a locking circuit for its winding by way of conductor 29, conductor 34, contact member 48, conductor 37, conductor 39, condnctor 32, current-limiting resistance 33 and conductors 32 and 30. A locking circuit for the winding of relay R is also established upon operation of relay R, by way of conductor 29, conductor 34, contact member 48, conductor 37, conductor 40, current-limiting resistance 41 and conductors 32 and 30. Accordingly, the winding of relays R and R remain energized until the contact member 47 of relay R closes upon its fixed contacts even though the relays R and R deenergize upon subsidence of the abnormal circuit conditi on. In this manner, operation of the recording system for a definite period of time is insured.

hen relay R, was energized, as aforesaid, its contact member 49 engages the fixed contacts coaeting therewith and closes a circuit through the winding of motor M. This circult as follows: conductor 29, conductor 34, contact member 49, conductor 42, the winding 12 of motor M, conductors 43 and 30. By this action, operation of motor M is initiated and the record-receiving surface 1 is moved with respect to the record-forming member 14.

As is obvious from the drawing, energization of the winding of relay R causes its contact members 50 and 51 to close upon the fixed contacts coacting, respectively, therewith whereby the windings 24 and 25 are energized. Furthermore, the contact members 52 and of relay R upon energization of its winding, are moved from engagement with the fixed contacts coacting, respectively, with said last named contact members where by the bridging circuits across the respective current transformer secondary windings 59 and 63 are opened. As a result, said secondary windings energize, respectively, the sets of coils 26, 26a and 27, 27a.

The transformers 67, T1 and 59, 63, respectively, are step-up transformers and provide that the respective instrument windings 25, 24 and 27, 27a, 26, 26a shall be over-energized as long as the relay R remains energized. As pointed out hereinbefore, the high period of oscillation of the vibrating system is due to the large size of the Wire 16, and, in order to insure that a faithful recording of the power transient shall result, the voltage and current coils are over energized to such an extent as to overcome the stiff torsion of the deflecting system and provide a clear accurate recording of power transients.

The magnetic fields set up by the groups of fixed coils 26, 26a and 27, 27a coact, respectively, with the fields produced by the coils 2i and 25. Hence; since the power of a poly-phase electrical system may be measured by utilizing one less moving system than there are line conductors in that system, it follows that the hereindisclosed moving system comprising wire 16, sleeve 19, coils 2e and 25, and member 14 is controlled in accordance with the magnitude of the power traversing the electrical circuit under observation.

Energization of the aforesaid coils 24, 25, 26, 26a, 27 and 27a continues until the contact member 47 closes upon its coactin fixed contacts. When this action occurs, the Winding of relay R is short-circuited with consequent deenergization thereof. As a result, the various coils aforesaid are placed in an inoperative state and the action of motor M is suspended.

In accordance with our invention, the wire 16 of the moving system is so designed as to be relatively still in torsion to thereby bring the natural period of said system within the desired range. Obviously, the torque applied to the moving system is of such value as to produce the desired deflection of the member 14. Thus, for example, when observing the eil'ect of transients on a power circuit, where the. periodicity of the cyclic change is of the order of one-half second, the time required for movement of the movable system through one complete cycle should be greatly less than one-half second and in actual practice is preferably of the order of one-twentieth of a second, more or less. The moving system, then, due to its natural period, responds faithfully to changes in the average values of a quantity of the usual electrical circuit, with the arrangements of the prior art, this could not be accomplished.

It shall be understood that the relay R or equivalent, may be actuated or controlled otherwise than as herein illustrated. Thus, for example, said relay may be actuated in response to any abnormal condition, either chance or otherwise, as a short circuit, excessive flow of current, rate of change or current, power, reactive power, or voltage, or the like.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an electrical instrument for record ing transient variations in the average value of a quantity traversing an electrical circuit, an armature having a marking device mounted thereon, said armature having a natural period of vibration of a fraction of a second and means for actuating said armature only on the occurrence of transient conditions.

2. In a transient recording instrument, an armature of the torsion-wire type having a marking device carried thereby, said armature having a natural period of vibration between the limits of 0 and 24 cycles per second and means for effecting "the actuation of said armature only on the occurrence of.

curately moving in accordance with the variations in the average value of a quantity traversing an electric circuit when said variations have a greater frequency than approximately one cycle per second, and actuating means associated with said armature and adapted to effect the actuation thereof only under predetermined transient electrical conditions.

5. An electrical recording instrument having a stylus-carrying armature capable of faithfully following a changing electric characteristic at any frequency between the frequencies of 0 and 25 cycles per second, and electro-responsivc means associated with said armature and adapted to effect the actuation thereof only upon the occurrence of predetermined electrical conditions in an electrical circuit subject to transient conditions.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 30th day of August, 1927.

ROBERT D. EVANS. CHARLES F. WAGNER. SAMUEL B. GRISCOM. 

